Virginia Republican George Allen’s last Senatorial campaign came under fire for his attack of an East Indian with the use of a racial slur — “macaca.†Now, according to the Grio, his embrace of a controversial state song may hurt his campaign.
While serving as a state legislator in the early 1990s, Allen wanted to keep “Carry Me Back To Old Virginia†as the state’s song, despite its use of terms like “darkie†and “massa.â€Â There had long been efforts to repeal the song and Allen, after all the pressure he took about it, removed the song during his last year as governor in 1997.
“This song was written years ago and it was not written to offend anyone,†Allen said in a video released by The Huffington Post. “The issue that is before us is that the original words are now understandably offensive to some people. Though they were not intended to be.â€
Read more at the Grio.